Lighthouses of Southwestern Estonia

Estonia is a small country with a surprisingly long
coastline. Surrounded on 2-1/2 sides by water, it faces the
Gulf of Riga (Liivi Laht) on the southwest, the Baltic Sea (Läänemere) on the west,
and the Gulf of Finland (Soome Lahe) on the north. There are two large
islands in the Baltic, Saaremaa and Hiiumaa, and countless
small islands. To guard these coasts, Estonia has more than
100 lighthouses and a well-developed lighthouse
administration. This page includes lighthouses of the southwestern coast,
including Pärnu and Saare counties.

Estonia's independence is recent. The country was part of the Swedish
Empire from 1625 to 1710, and then part of the Russian Empire from 1710
until the end of World War I in 1918. After two decades of independence,
it was incorporated into the Soviet Union from 1940 to 1990. Thus the
older lighthouses are from the Russian Imperial period, and some of the
newer ones are of Soviet construction. An example from the imperial period
appears at right: the Vilsandi lighthouse built in 1809.

Lighthouses in Estonia are operated by the Estonian
Maritime Administration (Eesti Veeteede Amet, or EVA). In Estonian, a lighthouse is a
tuletorn (fire tower), a tulepaak, or a majakas. A daybeacon is called a päevamärk.

Names in curly brackets {} are non-Estonian former names
(Swedish or German).

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS
World List of Lights. EVA numbers
are from the List of Lights - Estonia published by EVA. Admiralty
numbers are from volume C of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog
Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 116.

1956. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); white flash every 5 s. 28 m (92
ft) square skeletal tower, painted red. The west side of the tower is covered
by a slatted daymark painted white. Trabas has a photo by
Klaus Kern, Claußen has a photo,
and Google has a fuzzy satellite
view. Located in the village of Häädemeeste, on the east
side of the Gulf of Riga about 35 km (22 mi) south of Pärnu. Site
open, tower closed. EVA 894; Admiralty C3594.5; NGA 12452.

Pärnu City Lighthouses
Note: Pärnu, formerly
known by its German name Pernau, is a seaport and resort town at the mouth of the Pärnu
River at the northeastern corner of the Gulf of Riga. EVA's pages indicate
that there was a light at Pernau as early as 1835; Findlay's 1879 list
describes
"two lanterns" at the river entrance, a station established in
1856.

Seedri Range Front
(Pärnu Outer Range Front) (2)

1976 (station established 1922). Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); white
light, 0.5 s on, 0.5 s off, visible only along the range line. 14 m (46
ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower. The front of the tower carries a
slatted daymark painted white with a red vertical stripe. A 2007 closeup and a 2006 photo are available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. This range guides vessels approaching the Pärnu River
entrance from the Gulf of Riga. Located on the east bank of the river about 200 m (650 ft) from
the mouth. Site probably open, tower closed. EVA 881; Admiralty C3608;
NGA 12468.

* Seedri
Range Rear (Pärnu Outer Range Rear) (2)

1976 (station established 1922). Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft);
white light, 1.5 s on, 1.5 s off, visible only along the range line.
24 m (79 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower. The front of the
tower carries a slatted daymark painted white with a red vertical
stripe. A 2007 closeup and Eugene Pentya's 2006 photo are available, Google has a street view, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the east bank of the
river on the grounds of the Tervis Medical Spa (Sanatoorium
Tervis). Site open, tower closed. EVA 882; Admiralty C3608.1;
NGA 12472.

Silla Range
Front (Pärnu Inner Range Front) (2)

1999 (station established 1930). Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft);
red light, 1.5 s on, 1.5 s off, visible only along the range line.
13 m (43 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower. The front of the
tower carries a slatted daymark painted red with a black vertical
stripe; apparently the color of the stripe was changed fairly recently
from white to black. Trabas has a photo
showing the black stripe, another photo is available, and Google has a satellite
view. This is the entrance range for the Pärnu River. Located
on the quay at Pärnu. Site status unknown. EVA 891; Admiralty
C3612; NGA 12476.

1956. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); white light occulting twice every
5 s. 28 m (92 ft) square skeletal tower, painted red. The south and east
sides of the tower are covered by a slatted daymark painted white. Estonian Wikipedia has a page with a photo, a good closeup is available, and Google
has a street view from the rear of the tower and a distant satellite
view. Located on a cape at Liu, the west side of the entrance to the
Bay of Pärnu, about 16 km (10 mi) southwest of the city. Accessible
by road. Site open, tower closed. EVA 865; Admiralty C3605; NGA 12492.

Tõstamaa Parish Lighthouses

* Manilaid (Maniliau)
{Manija}

1933. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); white, red, or green light depending
on direction, 2 s on, 2 s off. 8 m (26 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower
with lantern and gallery. Tower painted white, lantern red. Estonian Wikipedia has a page with several closeup photos, a fine closeup is available, Vladimir Popov
has a winter photo,
and Google has a very distant satellite
view. Manilaid is a small island just off Munaliau at the western entrance
to the Pärnu Laht (Pärnu Bay). The light displays no less than
10 sectors to guide ships around the island in their approach to Pärnu,
Estonia's main port on the Gulf of Riga. Located at the southern tip
of the island, which is accessible by passenger ferry from Munaliau.
Site open, tower closed. ARLHS EST-070; EVA 855; Admiralty C3603; NGA
12464.

Sorgu {Sorkholm}
(2)

1904 (station established with a daybeacon in 1864). Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft);
two flashes every 9 s, white or red depending on direction. 16 m
(53 ft) round cylindrical brick tower with lantern and gallery,
standing on an octagonal base. The lighthouse is unpainted red brick;
lantern painted red. 2-story brick keeper's house. The lighthouse
has been in poor condition; Vladimir Popov has a 2006 photo
that shows severe spalling of the bricks. Ysmael Maseta has a similar photo from 2004. Google has a distant satellite
view. Sorgu is a small island in the mouth of Pärnu Bay, about 8 km (5 mi) southeast of Manilaid and about 30 km (19
mi) southwest of Pärnu. The island is a bird sanctuary, closed
to visitors until after the nesting season ends in July. Accessible
only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS EST-050; EVA 860;
Admiralty C3602; NGA 12508.

1865. Active; focal plane 29 m (95 ft); two long (1.5 s) flashes
every 12 s, white or red depending on direction. 28 m (92 ft) round
tapered cast iron tower with lantern and gallery; Fresnel lens in
use. Lighthouse painted white; lantern dome is red. Trabas has EVA's photo at right, another good photo
is available, also a third photo,
Wikimedia has several photos, and Google has a distant satellite
view. This lighthouse was prefabricated in England; it is a
copy of the Vormsi Light (see below). Forand has a 1931 postcard view. Kihnu
is an island in the northern Gulf of Riga, about 12 km (7.5 mi) south
of the mainland and 40 km (25 mi) southwest of Pärnu. Most
visitors arrive by air, but there is also ferry service from Pärnu
in the summer. Located on the south end of the island. Site open,
tower closed. ARLHS EST-028; EVA 840; Admiralty C3596; NGA 12500.

1954 (station established with a daybeacon in 1941). Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); white
flash every 5 s. 20 m (66 ft) octagonal white concrete tower with gallery
but no lantern, mounted on a square white concrete base. Taavi Liblik has
a closeup, Trabas has EVA's photo, another photo is available, and Google
has a distant satellite view. Located on a promontory of the Sõmeri Poolsaar (peninsula)
about 10 km (6 mi) south of Matsi on the north shore of the Gulf of Riga.
It is not known if there is land access to this site. Site status unknown.
ARLHS EST-051; EVA 835; Admiralty C3595; NGA 12496.

Pöörilaid
(Pöörilaiu,
Pööriotsa)

1939. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); four white flashes every 18 s,
white, red, or green depending on direction. 13 m (43 ft) round cylindrical
concrete tower with lantern and gallery. John Caddell has a photo, Trabas has EVA's photo, a winter closeup
is available, and Bing has a satellite
view. This lighthouse marks the southern approach to the Suur Väin,
the strait separating Saaremaa from the mainland. Located at the west end
of an island west of Mereäärse. Accessible only by boat. Site
status unknown. ARLHS EST-047; EVA 830; Admiralty C3631; NGA 12512.

Saare County Lighthouses

Note: The large island of Saaremaa
lies off the southwestern coast of mainland Estonia and borders the northwest
side of the Gulf of Riga, separated from the Courland peninsula of Latvia
by the Irbe Strait. The island is readily accessible via ferry
from Virtsu on the mainland to Kuivastu on Muhu Island and a bridge from Muhu
to Saaremaa. Historically, Saaremaa was known as Ösel in both German
and Swedish.

Ruhnu Parish Lighthouses

Note: Ruhnu is an island in the central Gulf of Riga, 37 km (23 mi) due east
of Cape Kolka, Latvia, and about 80 km (50 mi) southeast of Saaremaa.
Until World War II it was the home of descendents of the original
Swedish settlers, who called the island Runö.
Now a popular tourist attraction in the summer, Ruhnu has a permanent
population of about 60. Most visitors arrive by air, but there
is also passenger ferry service from Saaremaa.

1877 (station established 1646). Active; focal plane 65 m (213
ft); white flash every 4 s. 40 m (131 ft) cast iron quadripod tower
with lantern, watch room, gallery, and central cylinder, painted
brown; lantern roof is red. A photo is at right, Otto de Voogd has two photos,
another excellent closeup
is available, Huelse has a historic postcard
view, and Google has a distant satellite view of the station. The lighthouse was prefabricated in Le
Havre, France, and it is said to have been designed by Gustave
Eiffel, although this has not been confirmed. Only a few lighthouses
of this quadrupod design were built and this is a very rare survivor.
It was heavily damaged in World War I, but was repaired. The lighthouse replaced a 32 m (105 ft) wood tower built in 1860. The earlier history of this station is somewhat obscure. Lights were displayed on Ruhnu as early as 1646, and according to some sources a wood pyramidal tower was built on the present location in 1757. There was also a 24 m (79 ft) octagonal wood tower at the northern tip of the island, built in 1820; its fate is not known. The lighthouse was "reconstructed" in 1937. It was recognized as a national cultural monument in 2003. Located on the hill
known as Håubjärre in the eastern part of the island. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS
EST-011; EVA 990; Admiralty C3482; NGA 12220.

1924 (rebuilt 1939; station established 1915). Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft);
white light, 2.5 s on, 6.5 s off. 18 m (59 ft) round cylindrical concrete
tower with lantern and gallery. Lower half of lighthouse painted white;
upper half, lantern, and gallery painted black. 1-story keeper's house
and other structures. Sven Vaarandi's photo is at right, a more distant view is available, and Google has a distant street view and a distant satellite view of the station. This lighthouse is about 25 km (15 mi) southwest
of the Viirlaid Light. The original lighthouse was wooden; it was
destroyed by a fire started by lightning in 1923. The present lighthouse was 11 m (36 ft) high; it was extended to 18 m (59 ft) in 1939. Located at the easternmost
tip of Saaremaa, at the end of the Kübassaare Poolsaar (peninsula).
Site open, tower closed. ARLHS EST-029; EVA 987; Admiralty C3630;
NGA 12636.

1907. Inactive since about 1924. 24 m (79 ft) round brick tower
with gallery, mounted on a 1-story hexagonal stone base. Lantern removed.
Sven Vaarandi has a 2000 photo, the lighthouse appears on a 2002 postage
stamp, and Google has a satellite view of the station. This lighthouse was deactivated after it
was found to be ineffective in warning ships away from nearby shoals.
The lens and lighting equipment were transferred to the Kübassaare
Light (previous entry). A preservation group, Laidunina Tuletorni
Ühing, has leased the lighthouse and is seeking funds for its
restoration; Kenti Paet's 2006 photo and Vaarandi's 2007 photo show some work in progress. The lighthouse was recognized as a national cultural monument in 2005. Located on a point of land about 16 km (10 mi) west southwest
of Kübassaare. Site open, tower reported open in the summer.
Site manager: unknown. ARLHS EST-030.

Date unknown. Inactive. 15 m (49
ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower, painted red. The front of the tower carries a slatted daymark painted white with a red vertical stripe, although the colors have faded. A photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located near a shallow, now rarely-used harbor about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) south of Kõiguste. Site open, tower closed. ex-Admiralty C3629.

Valjala Parish Lighthouse

Kõiguste-Allirahu

1954. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); white flash every 7 s. 16 m (52
ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower, painted red. The upper 4/5 of the tower
is covered on all four sides by a slatted daymark painted in black and white
horizontal bands. Trabas has EVA's photo, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a sandbar near the end of a dangerous shoal, about 3 km
(1.8 mi) off the coast southeast of Siiksaare. Accessible only by boat. Site
status unknown. EVA 980; Admiralty C3628; NGA 12648.

Pihtla Parish Lighthouse

* Sääretüki

1954. Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft); three white flashes every 15 s.
18 m (59 ft) Virtsu-type square concrete tower with gallery but no lantern,
mounted on a square concrete block base. Entire lighthouse painted white.
Jordi Escuar's photo is at right, Sven Vaarandi has a 2008 photo, Trabas has EVA's photo, a 2009 photo shows the
tower freshly repainted, and Bing has a distant satellite
view. Located at the end of a peninsula on the south side
of Saaremaa, about 32 km (20 mi) east of Kuressaare. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed.
ARLHS EST-054; EVA 977; Admiralty C3627; NGA 12658.

Allirahu (4)

2007 (daybeacon established 1887, light station 1912). Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); two white flashes every 12 s. 10 m (33 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower, surrounded on all sides by a slatted daymark. Entire lighthouse painted red. An August 2007 photo shows the new light under construction, and Google has a satellite view. Trabas has EVA's photo of the third (1984) tower. Located on a sand island about 8 km (5 mi) southeast of the Vätta peninsula. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. EVA 970; Admiralty C3626; NGA 12656.

Kuressaare City Lighthouses

* Roomassaare
{Arensburg} Range Front (3)

1984 (station established 1896). Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white,
red or green light, depending on direction, occulting once every 4 s. 12 m
(39 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower, painted red. The tower carries
a rectangular slatted daymark painted black with a white vertical stripe.
Sven Vaarandi has a closeup photo, Trabas has Klaus Kern's photo, an aerial view of the
harbor is available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Michel Forand has a historic photo of the second (1904) light. Roomassaare is an important ferry
terminal south of Kuressaare. Located on the quay. Site open, tower closed.
EVA 961; Admiralty C3622.

1931 (station established 1897). Active; focal plane 38 m (125 ft); white
light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 36 m (119 ft) slender round cylindrical concrete tower
with gallery but no lantern. Tower painted white with three black horizontal
bands on the upper half. Trabas has EVA's photo, a view from the gallery is available, and Google has a satellite view. Forand has a historic photo of the present lighthouse. The front light is on a tall post. The 1897 lighthouse was a tall, octagonal wood structure of unusual design. Abruka is an island off the south coast of Saaremaa, about 6 km (4 mi) south of Roomassaare.
The island has a small permanent population and is accessible in the summer
by passenger ferry from Roomassaare. Located on the east side of the island.
Site open, tower closed. ARLHS EST-065; EVA 972; Admiralty C3616.1; NGA 12660.

* [Abruka
{Abrö} Range Front (2?)]

Date unknown (station established 1897). Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); quick-flashing white light visible only on the range line. 21 m (69 ft) steel post carrying a large rectangular slatted daymark; the upper half of the daymark is painted red and the lower half white. Sven Vaarandi has a photo and Google has a satellite view. Forand has a historic postcard view of the original lighthouse, a tall octagonal wood tower. Located 658 m (0.41 mi) east northeast of the rear light, on the east coast of Abruka. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS EST-001; EVA 971; Admiralty C3616; NGA 12659.

Kirjurahu

2007 (daybeacon established 1872). Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); five quick white flashes every 12 s. 11 m (36 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, partially enclosed on all sides by a vertically-slatted daymark painted or stained a dark red. Trabas has a photo, but Google has only a fuzzy satellite view of the island. This is a longtime daybeacon to which a light was added in 2007. Located on a sandy reef about 4 km (2.5 mi) southeast of Abruka. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. EVA 949; Admiralty C3618.

Vahase

1973. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); four white flashes every 12 s.
15 m (49 ft) post light; the upper portion is surrounded by a box-like daymark.
Lighthouse painted yellow with a red band at the top. A photo is
available, and Bing has an indistinct satellite
view. Located at the southern tip of Vahase, a smaller island off the
southwest coast of Abruka. EVA 947; Admiralty C3607.

Salme Parish Lighthouses
Note: The narrow Sõrve
Peninsula projects southward 32 km (20 mi) from the southwestern side
of Saaremaa, closing off half the width of the Irbe (Irbensky) Strait, the entrance
to the Gulf of Riga. Salme Parish occupies the northern half of the peninsula, and Torgu Parish occupies the southern half.

1953 (station established 1921). Active; focal plane 41 m (135 ft); white flash every 1.5 s. 28 m (92
ft) Virtsu-type square concrete tower with gallery but no lantern, topped
by a square skeletal tower and mounted on a square concrete block base. Lower
2/3 of lighthouse painted white, upper 1/3 black. This lighthouse carries
a general purpose light that also serves as the rear light of the Lõu-Anseküla
Range. Reijnen's September 2006 photo
at right shows the skeletal tower, which was apparently added to the lighthouse earlier
in 2006. Joke Reijnen's photo is at right, Trabas also has a photo,
Google has a street view, and Bing has a fuzzy satellite
view. The original light was on a church, but that bulding was destroyed in 1944, during World War II. Located beside highway 77 at Anseküla, on the east side of
the narrow neck of the Sõrve peninsula. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS
EST-020; EVA 932; Admiralty C3710.1; NGA 12680.

1934 (station established 1921). Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); four quick flashes every 15 s, white
to the west northwest along the range line, red to the left and green to the
right of the range line. 9 m (30 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with
lantern and gallery, painted white with green and yellow trim. Trabas has
an excellent closeup,
Mimmo Feminò has a 2009 photo,
Claußen also has a photo,
and Bing has a distant satellite
view. Forand has a historic photo. At least since 1953 the lighthouse has also served as the front light of
the Lõu-Anseküla Range. Located just off the beach on the west
(Baltic Sea) side of the Sõrve peninsula, north of the village of Lõu
and 3.1 km (2 mi) west northwest of the Anseküla Light. Site open, tower
closed. ARLHS EST-075; EVA 931; Admiralty C3710.

1954. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white flash every 2.5 s.
15 m (49 ft) Virtsu-type square concrete tower with gallery but no
lantern, mounted on a square concrete block base. Lighthouse painted
brown with a broad white horizontal band. Sven Vaarandi's 2008 photo shows that the light has been raised a few feet on a short mast. Trabas has Klaus Kern's photo, and Google has a closeup street view and a fuzzy satellite
view. Located on a promontory on the southeast side of the Sõrve
peninsula about 4 km (2.5 mi) east of Mäebe. Site open, tower
closed. ARLHS EST-023; EVA 943; Admiralty C3705.3; NGA 12668.

* Mõntu
Range Rear

1971. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); white light, 2 s on, 2 s
off. 15 m (49 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower. The side facing
the range carries a slatted daymark painted white with a black vertical
stripe. Trabas has Klaus Kern's photo, and Google has a good street view and a fuzzy satellite
view. The front light is on a smaller skeletal tower. Located just east of highway
77 on the north side on Mõntu. Site open, tower closed. EVA
942; Admiralty C3704.51; NGA 12671.

1960 (station established 1646). Active; focal plane 52 m (171 ft);
white flash every 15 s. 53 m (174 ft) round concrete tower with lantern
and double gallery. Lighthouse painted black with a broad white horizontal
band at the base. 2-story crew quarters and other buildings. Robert Reisman's photo
is at right, Otto de Voogd has a 2006 photo,
Reijnen has an excellent photo,
Claußen has a page for the lighthouse,
Wikimedia has numerous photos, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. This handsome tower, one of Estonia's best known lighthouses,
marks the north side of the entrance to the Gulf of Riga through the
Irbensky Strait (Irbeni Väin); the similar Mikeltornis lighthouse
in Latvia (built in 1955) marks the south side. The third Sõrve
lighthouse, built in 1863, was destroyed during World War II, when
German troops made their last stand in Estonia on this site; Klaus
Huelse has a historic
photo of that tower. It was replaced by a temporary wooden tower
in 1949. Formerly a highly restricted Soviet military zone, the Sõrve
peninsula has been opened to the public. The lighthouse seems
to be open as well. On clear days the Latvian lighthouses of Slitere
and Mikeltornis should be visible across the strait. Located on the
southernmost point of Saaremaa, at the end of highway 77 about 2 km
(1.2 mi) south of Sääre. Site open, parking available, tower apparently open.
ARLHS EST-013; EVA 935; Admiralty C3704; NGA 12672.

1953. Active; focal plane 42 m (138 ft); white flash every 5 s. 28 m (92
ft) square skeletal tower. The upper 2/3 of two sides of the tower are covered
by a slatted daymark. Sven Vaarandi has a 2009 photo, Trabas has Klaus Kern's photo, the culture ministry has a photo, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Located beside a highway west of the village of Karala on the west coast of Saaremaa. Site open,
tower closed. EVA 930; Admiralty C3712.

1809. Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); two short white flashes
followed by one long (2 s) white flash every 15 s. 37 m (121 ft)
round stone tower with lantern and gallery. Tower painted white,
lantern and gallery black. Sven Vaarandi's photo is at the top of this page,
Trabas has a good photo by Klaus Kern,
Reijnen also has a fine photo,
Wikimedia has Ivo Kruusamägi's photo, Forand has a historic postcard view, Huelse also has a historic postcard
view, and Google has a distant satellite
view. A historic and well known lighthouse, located on the
island of Vilsandi off the northwest coast of Saaremaa. Originally there were two towers,
but the lower tower was demolished in 1840. The joints in the surviving
tower reflect several increases in height, the most recent being
in 1870, when a 1st order lantern was installed. Artur Toom, who
was the keeper here from 1906 to 1941, put up nestboxes for birds
all over the island, and in response the Russian government of Estonia
declared the area a bird sanctuary in 1910. The Soviets sent Toom
to Siberia in 1941, but today his island is a national park and
a popular destination for birders and other tourists. Located on
the west end of the island, facing the Baltic; a map is available. Island accessible by passenger ferry from Papisaare.
Site open; tower open by arrangement with the caretaker. Site manager: Vilsandi Rahvuspark (National Park).
ARLHS EST-061; EVA 925; Admiralty C3714; NGA 12684.

1955. Inactive since 1998. Approx. 24 m (80 ft) square cylindrical church
steeple with a tall square pyramidal spire. The light was formerly shown through
a small opening in the steeple. Church painted white. Sven Vaarandi has a 2007 photo, another 2007 photo is available, Forand has a historic postcard view, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Located in Kihelkonna, a fishing port at the end of a long fjord
on the west side of Saaremaa. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS EST-067; ex-EVA
923; ex-Admiralty C3708.1.

1955. Inactive since 1998. 18 m (60 ft) octagonal concrete tower with gallery,
rising from a square concrete base. The lantern, if there was one, has been
removed. Tower painted white with a black vertical stripe on the range line.
The tower continues to be maintained as a daybeacon. Sven Vaarandi has a 2007 photo, and Google has a satellite
view. Located just off the beach about 3 km (1.8 mi) northwest of Kihelkonna,
a fishing port at the end of a long fjord on the west side of Saaremaa. Site
open, tower closed. ARLHS EST-068; ex-EVA 922; ex-Admiralty C3708.

1933 (station established 1879). Inactive. 25 m (82 ft) round cylindrical
concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted with black and white
horizontal bands. Nathan Wind's photo is at right, Estonian Wikipedia has a page with several photos including an August 2013 photo by Urmas Haljaste, a March 2010 photo is available, Otto de Voogd has excellent photos
from visits in 1997, 2004, and 2011, and Google has a distant satellite
view. Sibling of the 1931 Juminda Light
east of Tallinn. This is presently the world's best known leaning
lighthouse, but if you want to see it, don't delay. Critically endangered
by beach erosion, the lighthouse stands at the water's edge. For several
years it was leaning at an angle of as much as 15°, but an August
2007 photo shows a reduced angle, and by early 2008 it had come back
close to vertical. However, these shifts are caused by undermining
of the foundation by the waves, and it seems very likely the tower
will collapse within a few years at most. Located at the tip of the Undva Poolsaar
(peninsula) on the northwestern coast of Saaremaa, about 4 km (2.5
mi) west of the town of Undva. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS EST-077;
ex-EVA 921; ex-Admiralty C3716.

1979 (apparently unlit until 2005). Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft); white flash every 2 s. 15 m (49 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower, painted black. Three sides of the tower carry a slatted daymark, painted white with a black vertical stripe; the daymark is in poor condition. Sven Vaarandi has a 2005 photo, a 2006 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the northern point of Kõinastu, a small island off the northwestern corner of Muhu. Accessible only by boat. Site
open, tower closed. EVA 898; Admiralty C3640.8; NGA 12550.

Date unknown (station established 1885). Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); white light occulting once every 5 s. 25 m (82 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted red. The front of the tower carries a long slatted daymark, painted white with a black vertical stripe. ARLHS has a photo, Sven Vaarandi has a 2007 photo, and Bing has a satellite view. The range guides vessels southbound in the channel between the mainland and the island of Hiiumaa. Forand has a historic photo of the second (1906) lighthouse. Located on the coast near Raugi, at the northeastern corner of Muhu. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS EST-079; EVA 815; Admiralty C3638; NGA 12540.

1970 (?) (station established 1857); focal plane 17 m (56 ft);
one long (1.5 s) flash every 8 s, white or red depending on direction.
13 m (43 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery.
Entire lighthouse painted red. A 2008 photo and a 2009 closeup are available, and Bing has a satellite
view of the station. Viirelaid is a small island just off the
southeastern corner of Muhu,
at the southwestern entrance to the Suur Väin. The first lighthouse at this station was a wood tower. Huelse has a historic
postcard of the second (1881) tower, a cast iron tourelle.
The history of
the station is available in Estonian, with photos. Located on the
eastern point of the island. Accessible only by boat; there should
be at least a distant view from the ferry to Muhu from Virtsu. Site
status unknown. ARLHS EST-060; EVA 785; Admiralty C3636; NGA 12516.